So reading the Bush thread got me thinking. Is the way the NFL set up really beneficial? The worst team picks first, landing the best rookie available and hopefully building their franchisse around him. But lets look at the numbers:
1st round picks are averaging insane salaries. They are making nearly 10 million a year, without ever playing a single down of football. And the majority of that is guaranteed money.
Unless they play as well as a top 5 player at their position, they are being overpaid. And even then sometimes they are being overpaid. Here are the
averages for the top 5 highest paid players at each position:
Quarterback $8.789 million $8.327 million
Defensive end $8.332 million $7.075 million
Linebacker $7.169 million $6.144 million
Offensive line $6.983 million $6.391 million
Wide receiver $6.172 million $5.160 million
Running back $6.085 million $5.153 million
Cornerback $5.893 million $4.774 million
Defensive tackle $5.656 million $4.463 million
Safety $4.109 million $3.592 million
Tight end $3.327 million $2.718 million
Kicker-punter $2.468 million $2.045 million
So if you draft a player who doesnt produce, you are screwed, as all your salary is tied up and you can't sign good FAs.
I know it doesn't make sense to have the draft in any other order, but there needs to be a limit imposed on rookie contracts. In my opinion, they are getting completely out of hand. If a rookie WR or Safety is taken first in the draft, they could be the highest paid player at their position without ever even playing a single snap.
1st round picks are averaging insane salaries. They are making nearly 10 million a year, without ever playing a single down of football. And the majority of that is guaranteed money.
Unless they play as well as a top 5 player at their position, they are being overpaid. And even then sometimes they are being overpaid. Here are the
averages for the top 5 highest paid players at each position:
Quarterback $8.789 million $8.327 million
Defensive end $8.332 million $7.075 million
Linebacker $7.169 million $6.144 million
Offensive line $6.983 million $6.391 million
Wide receiver $6.172 million $5.160 million
Running back $6.085 million $5.153 million
Cornerback $5.893 million $4.774 million
Defensive tackle $5.656 million $4.463 million
Safety $4.109 million $3.592 million
Tight end $3.327 million $2.718 million
Kicker-punter $2.468 million $2.045 million
So if you draft a player who doesnt produce, you are screwed, as all your salary is tied up and you can't sign good FAs.
I know it doesn't make sense to have the draft in any other order, but there needs to be a limit imposed on rookie contracts. In my opinion, they are getting completely out of hand. If a rookie WR or Safety is taken first in the draft, they could be the highest paid player at their position without ever even playing a single snap.